Electronic device comprising an optical chip and method of fabrication

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a carrier substrate having a front face and an electronic chip mounted on the front face. An encapsulation cover is mounted above the front face and bounds a chamber in which the chip is situated. A front opening is provided in front of an optical component of the chip. An optical element, designed to allow light to pass, is mounted on the cover in a position which covers the front opening of the cover. The optical element includes a central region designed to deviate light and a positioning pattern that is visible through the front opening. An additional mask is mounted on the encapsulation cover in a position which extends in front of the optical element. A local opening of the additional mask is situated in front of the optical component.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the priority benefit of French Application for Patent No. 1858736, filed on Sep. 25, 2018, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety to the maximum extent allowable by law.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of electronic devices which comprise electronic chips equipped with optical components designed to emit/receive light.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided which comprises: a substrate wafer which has a front mounting face; an electronic chip mounted on the front mounting face of the substrate wafer and having, in its front face, an optical component; an encapsulation cover of the chip which is mounted on top of the front face of the substrate wafer, which bounds a chamber within which the chip is situated and which has a front opening situated in front of the optical component of the chip; and an optical element, designed to allow light to pass, which is mounted on the cover and which covers the opening of the cover.

The electronic device furthermore comprises an additional mask which is mounted on the cover, which extends in front of the optical element and which has a local opening situated in front of the optical component of the chip.

Thus, by virtue of the additional mask having a local opening, the field of the light radiation is more readily controlled. Furthermore, the assembly is facilitated and precise.

The local opening of the additional mask may be smaller than the front opening of the cover.

The optical element may comprise a central part designed to deviate the light and a positioning pattern.

The optical element may comprise a base wafer and a back layer including a central part designed to deviate the light and a positioning pattern being visually detectable through the front opening of the encapsulation cover.

The additional mask may be mounted above a front edge of the cover situated around and separated from the optical element.

The optical element may be mounted above a front face of a shoulder of the cover surrounding the front opening of the cover.

The electronic device may comprise another electronic chip mounted on the front mounting face of the substrate wafer and having an optical component in its front face.

The encapsulation cover may bound another chamber within which the other chip is situated and has another front opening situated in front of the optical component of the other chip.

Another optical element, through which light is able to pass, may be mounted on the cover and covers the other opening of the cover.

The additional mask may have another local opening situated in front of the optical component of the other chip.

A method of fabricating an electronic device is also provided, which comprises the following: Provide, on the one hand, a substrate wafer on a front face of which at least one electronic chip is mounted comprising an optical component and, on the other hand, an encapsulation cover having a front opening and an optical element through which light is able to pass; mount the optical element on the encapsulation cover, in front of the front opening; mount an additional mask on the encapsulation cover, in front of the optical element, the additional mask having a local opening; and mount the encapsulation cover on top of the front face of the substrate wafer, in a position such that the chip is situated within a chamber bounded by the encapsulation cover and such that the optical element is in front of the optical component of the chip, the optical axes of the optical component of the chip and of the optical element and the axis of the local opening of the additional mask being situated on a common optical axis.

The method may comprise: placing the encapsulation cover equipped with the optical element and with the additional mask in a reference position; detecting a positioning pattern of the optical element through the front opening of the encapsulation cover with respect to a position of the carrier substrate or of the chip mounted on the carrier substrate; moving and mounting the encapsulation cover on top of the carrier substrate, from the reference position and according to a movement and mounting program.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Electronic devices will now be described by way of non-limiting exemplary embodiments, illustrated by the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of an electronic device comprising an electronic chip equipped with an optical component; and

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of an electronic device comprising two electronic chips equipped with optical components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An electronic device 1, illustrated in FIG. 1, comprises a carrier substrate 2, in the form of a wafer, which has a back face 3 and a front mounting face 4 and which includes an integrated network 5 of electrical connections from one wafer to the other. The carrier substrate 2 is made of an opaque material.

The electronic device 1 comprises an electronic chip 6 which is fixed onto the front face 4 of the carrier substrate 2, by means of a layer of adhesive (not shown), and which comprises an optical component 8, in its front face 7, designed to emit or to receive light radiation. The chip 6 is electrically connected to the network of electrical connections 5 for example by one or more electrical wires 9.

The electronic device 1 comprises an encapsulation cover 10 which is fixed on top of the front face 4 of the carrier substrate 2 and which bounds a chamber 11 inside of which the chip 6 is situated. The encapsulation cover 10 is made of an opaque material.

The encapsulation cover 10 has a front opening 12 situated in front of the optical component 8 of the chip 6.

The electronic device 1 comprises an optical element 13 in the form of a wafer, designed to allow light to pass, which is mounted on the encapsulation cover 10 and which covers the front opening 12 of the encapsulation cover 10.

The electronic device 1 comprises an additional mask 14 in the form of a plate, which is mounted on the encapsulation cover 10, which extends in front of the optical element 13 and which has a local opening 15 situated in front of the optical component 8 of the chip 6 in such a manner as to allow the light to pass. The additional mask 14 is made of an opaque material.

The optical element 13 has a central region 16 designed to deviate the light and a positioning pattern 17. Advantageously, the central region 16 and the positioning pattern 17 are on the back side of the optical element 13, in other words on the same side as the chip 6, the positioning pattern 17 being visually detectable through the front opening 12 of the encapsulation cover 14.

The optical axes of the optical component 8 of the chip 6 and of the central region 16 of the optical element 13 and the axis of the local opening 15 of the additional mask 14 are situated on a common optical axis, so as to obtain a correct alignment, this common optical axis being perpendicular to the front face of the chip 6 and to the carrier substrate 2.

Thus, the additional mask 14 forms an optical interface.

The local opening 15 of the additional mask 14 is smaller than the front opening 12 of the encapsulation cover 10.

According to one variant embodiment, the electronic device 1 may comprise the following arrangements.

The encapsulation cover 10 comprises a peripheral wall 18 one back edge of which 19 is fixed on top of the front face 4 of the carrier substrate 2 by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown). This bead of adhesive is made of an opaque material.

The additional mask 14 is fixed onto a front edge 20 of the peripheral wall 18 by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The encapsulation cover 10 comprises an internal annular intermediate shoulder 21 which is protruding from the peripheral wall 18 and whose inside edge bounds the front opening 12.

The optical element 13 is fixed onto a front face 22 of the intermediate shoulder 21, in other words on the opposite side from the chip 6, by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The optical element 13 comprises a base wafer 23, for example made of glass and, on a back face of this base wafer 23, in other words on the same side as the chip 6, a layer 24 of structured polymer so as to form the central region 16 designed to deviate the light and the positioning pattern 17.

Optionally, the optical element 13 comprises a front layer (not shown) designed to form a filter, for example a UV filter.

The electronic device 1 may be fabricated and installed in the following manner.

Provide, on the one hand, a carrier substrate 2 on which a chip 6 is mounted and electrically connected and, on the other hand, a prefabricated encapsulation cover 10, for example obtained by an injection process, and an optical element 13.

Using a syringe, a bead of adhesive is deposited onto the front face 22 of the shoulder 21 of the encapsulation cover 10.

By means of a transfer and positioning tool, through the front of the encapsulation cover 10, the optical element 13 is mounted onto the shoulder 21, placing the axis of the central region 16 designed to deviate the light of the optical element 13 along the axis of the front opening 12 and placing the positioning pattern 17 according to a desired position for orientation of the optical element 13 with respect to the encapsulation cover 10 along the axis of the front opening 12 or the axis of the central region 16 designed to deviate the light of the optical element 13. This operation is carried out by detecting the positioning pattern 17 via the back of the encapsulation cover 10, through the front opening 12.

Using a syringe, a bead of adhesive is deposited onto the front edge 20 of the encapsulation cover 10.

By means of a transfer and positioning tool, the additional mask 14 is mounted onto the front end edge 20 of the encapsulation cover 10 placing the axis of the local opening 15 along the axis of the front opening 12 or the axis of the central region 16 designed to deviate the light of the optical element 13.

Subsequently, a transfer and positioning tool places the encapsulation cover 10, equipped with the optical element 13 and with the additional mask 14, in a reference position established with respect to a fixed position of the carrier substrate 2 and of the chip 6 mounted on the carrier substrate 2, while implementing a detection tool designed to detect the positioning pattern 17 through the front passage 12, via the back of the encapsulation cover 10.

Then, starting from the reference position and under the effect of a suitable motion program, the transfer and positioning tool brings and mounts the encapsulation cover 10 equipped with the optical element 13 and with the additional mask 14 on top of the carrier substrate 2, in the installed position previously described.

In the case where the electronic device is placed behind a transparent wall of a device, in a position such that this transparent wall is on the same side as and at a short distance from the front face of the additional mask 14, the existence of the additional mask 14 limits the penetration, through the local opening 15 of the additional mask 14, of light radiation existing in the space between this transparent wall and the additional mask 14 towards the optical element 13 and hence towards the chamber 11 in which the chip 6 is situated.

Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device 100 will now be described which comprises, generally speaking, two elementary electronic devices 101 and 102 respectively equivalent to the electronic device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, one being specifically designed to emit light towards the outside and the other being specifically designed to capture the external light.

The electronic device 100 comprises a common carrier substrate 2 a which has a back face 3 a and a front face 4 a and which includes an integrated network 5 a of electrical connections from one wafer to the other.

The electronic device 100 comprises electronic chips 6 a and 6 b which are fixed onto the front face 4 a of the common carrier substrate 2 a, by means of layers of adhesive, and which are situated at a distance from one another.

The electronic chip 6 a comprises, in its front face 7 a, an optical component 8 a designed to emit light radiation.

The electronic chip 6 b comprises, in its front face 7 b, an optical component 8 b designed to receive or capture light radiation.

The chips 6 a and 6 b are electrically connected to the network of electrical connections 5 a by electrical wires 9 a and 9 b.

The electronic device 100 comprises a common encapsulation cover 10 a which is fixed on top of the front face 4 a of the carrier substrate 2 a and which bounds chambers 11 a and 11 b inside of which the chips 6 a and 6 b are respectively situated.

The encapsulation cover 10 a has front openings 12 a and 12 b respectively situated in front of the optical components 8 a and 8 b of the chips 6 a and 6 b.

The electronic device 100 comprises optical elements 13 a and 13 b in the form of wafers, through which the light is able to pass, which are mounted on the encapsulation cover 10 a, respectively covering the front openings 12 a and 12 b of the encapsulation cover 10 a.

The electronic device 100 comprises an additional common mask 14 a in the form of a plate, which is mounted on the encapsulation cover 10 a, which extends in front of the optical elements 13 a and 13 b and which has local openings 15 a and 15 b respectively situated in front of the optical components 8 a and 8 b of the chips 6 a and 6 b so as to allow the light to pass.

The local openings 15 a and 15 b of the additional mask 14 a are respectively smaller than the front openings 12 a and 12 b of the encapsulation cover 10 a.

The optical element 13 a has a central region 16 a designed to deviate the light and a positioning pattern 17 a. Specifically, the central region 16 a is designed to produce a multidirectional dispersion, towards the outside, of the light emitted by the emitting optical component 8 a of the chip 6 a, towards the outside through the local opening 15 a of the additional mask 14 a.

The optical element 13 b has a central region 16 b designed to deviate the light and a positioning pattern 17 b. Specifically, the central region 16 b, forming a converging optical lens, is designed to make the external light passing through the local opening 15 b of the additional mask 14 a converge towards the receiving optical component 8 b of the chip 6 b.

On the one hand, the optical component 8 a of the chip 6 a, the central region 16 a of the optical element 13 a and the local opening 15 a of the additional mask 14 a, belonging to the elementary device 101 and, on the other hand, the optical component 8 b of the chip 6 b, the central region 16 b of the optical element 13 b and the local opening 15 b of the additional mask 14 a, belonging to the elementary device 101, are respectively aligned and situated on common optical axes, as previously described.

According to one variant embodiment, the electronic device 100 may comprise the following arrangements.

The encapsulation cover 100 comprises a peripheral wall 18 a and an internal partition 18 b which joins two opposing sides of the peripheral wall 18 a and which passes between, and at a distance from, the chips 6 a and 6 b and separates the chambers 12 a and 12 b.

The back edge 19 a of the peripheral wall 18 a and the back edge 19 b of the internal partition 18 b are fixed on top of the front face 4 a of the common carrier substrate 2 a by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The additional mask 14 a is fixed onto a front edge 20 a of the peripheral wall 18 a and a front edge 20 b of the internal partition 18 b by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The encapsulation cover 101 comprises intermediate annular peripheral shoulders 21 a and 21 b which are protruding from the peripheral wall 18 a and the internal partition 18 b and whose internal edges respectively bound the front openings 12 a and 12 b.

The optical element 13 a is fixed onto a front face 22 a of the intermediate shoulder 21 a, in other words at the opposite side from the chip 6 a, by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The optical element 13 b is fixed onto a front face 22 b of the intermediate shoulder 21 b, in other words at the opposite side from the chip 6 b, by means of an annular bead of adhesive (not shown).

The optical element 13 a comprises a glass wafer 23 a and, on a back face of this wafer 23 a, in other words on the same side as the chip 6 a, a layer 24 a of structured polymer so as to form the central region 16 a designed to diffract the light and the positioning pattern 17 a.

The optical element 13 b comprises a glass wafer 23 b and, on a back face of this wafer 23 b, in other words on the same side as the chip 6 b, a layer 24 b of structured polymer so as to form the central region 16 b forming a convergent lens and the positioning pattern 17 b.

Optionally, the optical elements 13 a and 13 b comprise front layers (not shown), designed to form filters, for example UV filters.

The electronic device 1 may be fabricated and installed in the following manner.

On the one hand, a common carrier substrate 2 a is provided on which chips 6 a and 6 b are mounted and electrically connected, at a desired distance, and on the other hand, a prefabricated encapsulation cover 10 a, for example obtained by an injection process.

The optical elements 13 a and 13 b are mounted on the shoulders 21 a and 21 b of the encapsulation cover 10 a then the additional mask 14 a is mounted on the front end edges 20 a and 20 b of the encapsulation cover 10 a, respectively as previously described, by placing their common optical axes at a desired distance and by placing the positioning patterns 17 a and 17 b in desired positions.

Subsequently, a transfer and positioning tool places the encapsulation cover 10 a, equipped with the optical elements 13 a and 13 b and with the additional mask 14 a, in a reference position established with respect to a fixed position of the common carrier substrate 2 a, and chips 6 a and 6 b mounted on the common carrier substrate 2 a, while implementing a detection tool designed to detect the positioning patterns 17 a and 17 b through front passages 12 a and 12 b, in other words through the back of the encapsulation cover 10 a, and under the effect of a suitable motion program.

Then, starting from the reference position and under the effect of a suitable motion program, the transfer and positioning tool brings and mounts the encapsulation cover 10 equipped with the optical elements 13 a and 13 b and with the additional mask 14 a on top of the common carrier substrate 2 a, in the installed position previously described.

Optionally, the encapsulation cover 10 a could comprise a front peripheral lip surrounding and separated from the additional mask 14 a.

According to one variant embodiment, the additional mask 14 a could be in two parts, one being above the shoulder 21 a and the other below the shoulder 21 b.

According to one mode of operation, the emitter 8 a of the emitting chip 6 a emits light radiation towards the outside through the front opening 12 a of the encapsulation cover 10 a, of the optical element 13 a and of the local opening 15 a of the additional mask 14 a. The detector 8 b of the receiver chip 6 b captures the external light radiation which passes through the local opening 15 a of the additional mask 14 a, of the optical element 13 b and of the front opening 12 b of the encapsulation cover 10 a.

The electronic device 100 may advantageously detect the presence or the absence of an object in front of the additional mask 14 a and hence constitute a proximity detector.

According to one particular exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 100 is placed behind a transparent wall of a device, in a position such that this transparent wall is on the same side as and at a short distance from the front face of the additional mask 14 a.

The existence of the additional mask 14 a limits the penetration, through the local opening 15 b of the additional mask 14 a, of light radiation potentially existing in the space between this transparent wall and the additional mask 14 a and coming from the emitting chip 6 a, towards the optical element 13 b and hence towards the chamber 11 in which the receiving chip 6 b is situated.

Thus, the receiving chip 6 b is protected against the radiation from the emitting chip 6 a, behind the transparent wall of the device.

The electronic device may advantageously be installed inside a mobile telephone or an electronic tablet, behind a transparent wall. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a carrier substrate having a front mounting face; an electronic chip mounted on the front mounting face of the carrier substrate, said electronic chip having an optical component at its front face; an encapsulation cover which bounds a chamber in which the electronic chip is situated and which has a front opening situated in front of the optical component of the electronic chip, said encapsulation cover mounted on top of the front face of the carrier substrate; an optical element configured to allow light to pass, said optical element including a central region designed to deviate light and a positioning pattern; wherein the optical element is mounted on the encapsulation cover over the front opening of the encapsulation cover at a position where the central region deviates light passing through the front opening of the encapsulation cover and wherein the positioning pattern is located between the central region and an edge of the front opening of the encapsulation cover; and an additional mask mounted on the encapsulation cover, which extends in front of the optical element and which has a local opening situated in front of the optical component of the electronic chip.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the local opening of the additional mask is smaller than the front opening of the encapsulation cover.
 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a base wafer and a back layer, and wherein the central region and positioning pattern are located in the back layer.
 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning pattern is visually detectable through the front opening of the encapsulation cover.
 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the additional mask is mounted above a front edge of the encapsulation cover situated around and separated from the optical element.
 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulation cover includes a shoulder surrounding the front opening of the encapsulation cover and wherein the optical element is mounted above a front face of the shoulder of the encapsulation cover.
 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: another electronic chip mounted on the front mounting face of the carrier substrate, said another electronic chip having an optical component at its front face; wherein the encapsulation cover bounds another chamber in which the another electronic chip is situated and has another front opening situated in front of the optical component of the another electronic chip; another optical element configured to allow light to pass, said another optical element mounted on the encapsulation cover and covering the another opening of the encapsulation cover; and wherein the additional mask has another local opening situated in front of the optical component of the electronic chip. 